Jeremiah 4

Judah Threatened with Invasion

1“IfH518 you will 1returnH7725, IsraelH3478,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068, “Then you should returnH7725 to Me. And 2ifH518 you will putH5493 awayH5493 your detestableH8251 thingsH8251 from My presenceH6440, And will not waverH5110,2And if you will 3swearH7650, ‘As the LordH3068 livesH2416,’ 4In truthH571, in justiceH4941, and in righteousnessH6666; Then the 5nationsH1471 will blessH1288 themselves in Him, And 6in Him they will boastH1984.”

3For thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559 to the menH376 of JudahH3063 and to JerusalemH3389: “78BreakH5214 up your uncultivatedH5215 groundH5215, And 9do not sowH2232 amongH413 thornsH6975.410CircumciseH4135 yourselves to the LordH3068 And removeH5493 the foreskinsH6190 of your heartsH3824, MenH376 of JudahH3063 and inhabitantsH3427 of JerusalemH3389, OrH6435 elseH6435 My 11wrathH2534 will spreadH3318 like fireH784 And burnH1197 with 12noH369 oneH369 to quenchH3518 it, BecauseH4480H6440 of the evilH7455 of your deedsH4611.”

5DeclareH5046 in JudahH3063 and proclaimH8085 in JerusalemH3389, and sayH559, “13BlowH8628 the trumpetH7782 in the landH776; CryH7121 aloudH4390 and sayH559, ‘14AssembleH622, and let’s goH935 Into the fortifiedH4013 citiesH5892.’6RaiseH5375 a 15flagH5251 toward ZionH6726! TakeH5756 refugeH5756, do not standH5975 still, For I am bringingH935 16evilH7463 from the northH6828, And greatH1419 destructionH7667.7A 17lionH743 has goneH5927 upH5927 from his thicketH5441, And a 18destroyerH7843 of nationsH1471 has setH5265 outH5265; He has goneH3318 outH3318 from his placeH4725 To 19makeH7760 your landH776 a wasteH8047. Your citiesH5892 will be ruinsH5327, WithoutH369 an inhabitantH3427.8For thisH2088, 20putH2296 onH2296 sackclothH8242, MournH5594 and wailH3213; For the 21fierceH2740 angerH639 of the LordH3068 Has not turnedH7725 awayH7725 from us.” 9“And it shall comeH1961 aboutH1961 on that dayH3117,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068, “that the 22heartH3820 of the kingH4428 and the heartsH3820 of the leadersH8269 will failH6; and the priestsH3548 will trembleH8074, and the 23prophetsH5030 will beH8539 astonishedH8539.”

10Then I saidH559, “OhH162, LordH136 24GodH3068! SurelyH403 You have utterlyH5378 25deceivedH5378 thisH2088 peopleH5971 and JerusalemH3389, sayingH559, ‘26You will haveH1961 peaceH7965’; yet a swordH2719 touchesH5060 the 27throatH5315.”

11At that timeH6256 it will be saidH559 to thisH2088 peopleH5971 and to JerusalemH3389, “A 28scorchingH6703 windH7307 from the bareH8205 heightsH8205 in the wildernessH4057, in the directionH1870 of the daughterH1323 of My peopleH5971--not to winnowH2219 and not to cleanseH1305, 12a windH7307 tooH4480 29strongH4392 for 30thisH428--will comeH935 31at My command; nowH6258 I will alsoH1571 pronounceH1696 judgmentsH4941 against them.”13“BeholdH2009, he 32goesH5927 upH5927 like cloudsH6051, And his 33chariotsH4818 like the whirlwindH5492; His horsesH5483 areH7043 34swifterH7043 thanH4480 eaglesH5404. WoeH188 to us, for 35we are ruinedH7703!”

14WashH3526 your heartH3820 from evilH7463, JerusalemH3389, SoH4616 thatH4616 you may be savedH3467. HowH4970 longH5704H4970 will your 36wickedH205 thoughtsH4284 LodgeH3885 withinH7130 you?15For a voiceH6963 declaresH5046 from 37DanH1835, And proclaimsH8085 wickednessH205 from MountH2022 EphraimH669.16“ReportH2142 it to the nationsH1471, nowH2009! ProclaimH8085 toH5921 JerusalemH3389, ‘38EnemiesH6862 are comingH935 from a 39remoteH4801 countryH776, And 40they raiseH5414 their voicesH6963 againstH5921 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063.17Like watchmenH8104 of a fieldH7706 they are 41againstH5921 her allH5439 aroundH5439, BecauseH3588 she has 42rebelledH4784 against Me,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068.18Your 43waysH1870 and your deedsH4611 Have 44broughtH6213 theseH428 thingsH428 upon you. ThisH2088 is your evilH7463. HowH3588 45bitterH4751! HowH3588 it has touchedH5060 your heartH3820!”

Grief over Judah’s Devastation

1946My 47soulH4578, my 48soulH4578! I amH2342 inH2342 anguishH2342! 49OhH7023, my heartH3820! My 50heartH3820 is poundingH1993 in me; I cannotH3808 keep silentH2790, BecauseH3588, 51my soulH5315, you have heardH8085 The 52soundH6963 of the trumpetH7782, The alarmH8643 of warH4421.2053DisasterH7667 upon disasterH7667 is proclaimedH7121, For the 54wholeH3605 landH776 is devastatedH7703; SuddenlyH6597 my 55tentsH168 are devastatedH7703, And my curtainsH3407 in an instantH7281.21HowH4970 longH5704H4970 must I seeH7200 the flagH5251 And hearH8085 the soundH6963 of the trumpetH7782?22“56For My peopleH5971 are foolishH191, They do not knowH3045 Me; They are foolishH5530 childrenH1121 And haveH995 noH3808 understandingH995. They are skillfulH2450 at 57doingH7489 evilH7489, But they do not knowH3045 how to doH3190 goodH3190.”

23I lookedH7200 at the earthH776, and beholdH2009, it was a 5859formlessH8414 and desolateH922 emptinessH922; And to the heavensH8064, and they hadH369 noH369 lightH216.24I lookedH7200 on the mountainsH2022, and beholdH2009, they were 60quakingH7493, And allH3605 the hillsH1389 joltedH7043 backH7043 andH7043 forthH7043.25I lookedH7200, and beholdH2009, thereH369 wasH369 noH369 humanH120, And allH3605 the 61birdsH5775 of the skyH8064 had fledH5074.26I lookedH7200, and beholdH2009, 62the 63fruitfulH3759 landH3759 was a wildernessH4057, And allH3605 its citiesH5892 were pulledH5422 downH5422 BeforeH4480H6440 the LordH3068, beforeH4480H6440 His fierceH2740 angerH639.

27For thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: “The 64wholeH3605 landH776 shall be a desolationH8077, Yet I will 65not executeH6213 a completeH3617 destructionH3617.28For thisH2088 the 66earthH776 will mournH56, And the 67heavensH8064 aboveH4480H4605 will become darkH6937, BecauseH5921H3588 I have 68spokenH1696, I have purposedH2161, And I have not 69changedH5162 My mindH5162, norH3808 will I turnH7725 from it.”29At the soundH6963 of the horsemanH6571 and archerH7411H7198 70everyH3605 cityH5892 fleesH1272; They 71goH935 into the thicketsH5645 and climbH5927 among the rocksH3710; 72EveryH3605 cityH5892 is abandonedH5800, And noH369 oneH376 livesH3427 in them.30And you, desolateH7703 one, 73whatH4100 will you doH6213? AlthoughH3588 you dressH3847 in scarletH8144, AlthoughH3588 you adornH5710 yourself with jewelryH5716 of goldH2091, AlthoughH3588 you 74enlargeH7167 your eyesH5869 with makeupH6320, In vainH7723 you makeH3302 yourself beautifulH3302. Your 7576loversH5689 despiseH3988 you; They seekH1245 your lifeH5315.31For I heardH8085 a voiceH6963 cry as of a woman inH2342 laborH2342, The anguishH6869 as of one givingH1069 birthH1069 toH1069 herH1069 firstH1069 childH1069. The voiceH6963 of the daughterH1323 of ZionH6726 77gaspingH3306 forH3306 breathH3306, 78StretchingH6566 outH6566 her 79handsH3709, saying, “AhH4994, woeH188 to me, for 80I faintH5888 before murderersH2026.”